AV upgrading bike lanes

APPLE VALLEY • Bicyclists will soon take advantage of a special highway improvement grant that will be used to upgrade and lengthen bike lanes in Apple Valley, according to a town news release.

While the town had already budgeted $60,000 in local transportation funds to work on the improvements, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the town a $405,000 grant through its Highway Safety Improvement Program, according to the release.

Improvements include extending lanes and upgrading 34.45 miles of bike lanes, which includes signage and clear markings for the town's system of Class 2 bicycle lanes.

The improvements will bring the bike lanes up to current California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices standards, the release states.

"Because Class 2 bike lanes are located along our major arterials, we need to periodically review and update our installations to ensure adherence to MUTCD guidelines," town Engineer Brad Miller said in the release. "Uniformity of bike lane installations is our best tool to ensure that both motor vehicle drivers and bicyclists have a clear understanding about how they must share the roadway."

The project includes improvements at 131 intersections, widening several sections of roadway, the addition of 549 regulatory bike lane signs and 704 bicycle symbol and arrow markings to educate drivers and enhance traffic safety.

"Receiving the grant is excellent news and it will really spruce up an already great bike lane system," said Chuck Hanson, 83, who created several High Desert bike events including the annual Chuck Hanson Tour de Apple Valley. "The better the bike lanes, the more people will get out of their cars and ride."

Hanson's wife, Pat, said she would like to see some of the grant funding go toward bike safety education in the classroom.

The town recorded 27 traffic collisions along its Class 2 bike lanes over the past 10 years, according to the news release.

"Uniform and consistent application of signs and markings is how we minimize driver uncertainty and maximize stable and orderly traffic movement," Miller said. "In so doing, we expect to decrease this statistic dramatically."

The Healthy Apple Valley coalition, which aims to improve the general health of residents by promoting healthy eating and active living, also welcomes the bicycle lanes, the release stated.

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